Matthew Lillard is currently experiencing a renaissance. After helping two horror franchises show out at the box office, he headed to the small screen, starring in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 as the mysterious Mr. Charles. For Lillard's next act, he's staying in the superhero genre, signing on for a role in the highly anticipated DC Studios sequel Man of Tomorrow.
As is par the course these days when dealing with comic book movie projects, the trades have been unable to suss out who Lillard is playing. He could just be doing a favor for his old buddy James Gunn, who worked with him on the live-action Scooby-Doo movies in the early 2000s, and coming in as a minor character. However, that possibility isn't nearly as fun as the one in which Lillard brings a notable DC hero to life.
The internet has already been falling all over itself as it comes up with fancasts for Lillard. One popular idea is that he's going to play Plastic-Man, a complicated character he's been linked to in the past. But another hero is also in the running: Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle.
User Home of DCU on X took to the social media platform to plant their flag in the Ted Kord camp, saying, "My theory is definitely Ted Kord. Would match Kumail’s age for Booster too."
Now, neither Kumail Nanjiani nor Gunn has confirmed that the Eternals actor is making the jump to the DCU and playing the time-traveling hero. If that casting does come together, Home of DCU is right in saying that their ages would match up, given how their dynamic evolves in the comics.
What the user is missing is that there's another angle to explore that explains why Gunn and Co. might want to introduce Kord sooner rather than later.
Matthew Lillard Playing Ted Kord Solves A Major DCU Mystery
At the start of May, Gunn answered a question on social media about the canon status of two DCEU-era projects, The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle. His response was enlightening, as he explained that he's been thinking about that very topic "a lot."
"I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to The Suicide Squad & Blue Beetle and I've been meaning to rewatch both with an eye towards that knowing what I know now almost three years into the DCU (with a couple more years of scripts being actively filmed or created). Maybe after MoT Jenn & Steve & I can get together for a special couple podcasts to discuss. What do you guys think is potentially or definitely NOT canon from TSS & BB?"
Gunn putting off the discussion until after Man of Tomorrow sure makes it seem like he's not currently worried about bringing Blue Beetle characters into the fold. However, he could be trying to throw fans off the scent, as he's been known to do in the past.
At the end of 2023's Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes saved his family and defeated the villain Carapax. He also built a strong bond with Jenny Kord, Ted Kord's daughter. While Jenny believed her father was dead, Blue Beetle's post-credits scene revealed that he's out there somewhere and ready to reconnect with her.
Blue Beetle's final moments were probably intended to set up a standalone sequel. That didn't come to fruition, and an animated series got the greenlight instead. But there's no reason that Jaime and Jenny's adventures have to continue only in the animation medium.
Gunn could easily pick up Blue Beetle's baton and run with it by turning his good friend into Kord. Maybe the whole band got back together in the last couple of years, and Kord is helping Jaime become a key contributor to the new generation of superheroes.
It would be similar to the Scott Lang/Hank Pym dynamic, which has worked well for Marvel Studios. In fact, no matter what projects those characters appear in, they fit in seamlessly.
Of course, DC Studios isn't trying to copy its competitor's homework. But when an actor as dynamic as Lillard enters the picture, the last thing the powers that be should want to do is waste him on a one-off role. Kord is anything but that, being a genius with endless potential.
